Tough Guy
by januaryfreeze92
Summary: Chekov thinks that being harmless is a bad thing and wants to prove that he's tough. A cute oneshot that may have a sequel, maybe not. Can be read as friendship or pre-slash. A tad fluffy at the end. Hikaru Sulu x Pavel Chekov


**Hey, guys!**

**This is a little different for me - I have NEVER written this kind of pairing before, even though I simply ADORE Chekov x Sulu. Your feedback is very much appreciated. No flames, though, as I said - first time writing this paring.**

**Also, this story is Pre-Slash Fluff. So you know. If you don't like, don't read - I live in Vermont, so I'm pretty open minded to this kind of stuff.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek, or any of its characters. Wish I did, but I don't. I do own the story, though, so don't steal!**

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"Vell, I am not doing anyzing later," the young boy piped up from my right, the accented voice causing me to smile inadvertently, like it always seemed to. The Captain just received news that Jonathan Stone, once known as Cupcake, wouldn't be available to spar that evening, as the pair did every Thursday evening. Of course, out of the kindness of his heart, Pavel offered to take his place.

"Are you kidding me? He's harmless," I pointed out gently with a well placed laugh. Chekov was sweet, naive, innocent... I could go on, as I was apt to do in the privacy of my room. I did not want him sparring against our Captain, who has had practice from the many bars he's visited.

"I am not harmless!" Pavel exclaimed, crossing his arms indignantly. I rolled my eyes, not really looking forward to his whining later tonight if he got his ass kicked. "I am wery tough, wery manly!"

"Yes, yes you are," Kirk replied absently, the words second nature to him, causing me, along with every other pair of eyes in the room, beside the oblivious Chekov, to glare at him. He looked up with false innocence.

"Uh, kidding?" he said automatically, raising his hands in surrender.

My eyes shifted to look at the teenager to my right, blond curls falling before his eyes. I almost felt like ranting on, but knew that my persistence would only make him angry. He wanted to be treated as an equal, not as a child. So instead I simply said, acting more like his best friend than older, wiser colleague, "Fine. After I drag you down to Sick Bay later, I expect a thank you."

- - -

"Vhy am I vearing a helmet?" he asked, "It iz wery soft..."

"It's what we wear while sparring, just so we don't hurt eachother," the Captain explained to him patiently and my heart leapt in my throat from where I was on the benches.

"I thought you disapproved of Jim's fighting?" Uhura asked the doctor who sat beside us, first aid kit in hand. My heart leapt into my throat again.

"I do, but I wouldn't miss this for the world," he said with a chuckle. I gulped, giving a wobbly smile to the young Ensign who gave me two thumbs up once he was all suited up.

"Oh, God, I don't think I want to watch," I whined, putting my hands up to my face, but couldn't resist peering through the fingers.

"I know what you mean. It's like those things that you don't want to watch but can't look away... Like mama bear saving her cubs from the well-meaning campers."

McCoy and I turned to look at her, eyebrows raised. What the hell did she watch in her spare time?

I watched as they started, happy to note that the Captain was going pretty easy on him. Physically, at least. But, knowing Jim Kirk, he just couldn't give up audio stimuli.

"Vhy are you not heetting me?" Chekov asked him, to my surprise not cowering in a corner.

"I am not going to beat you up, Chekov. Now raise your hands, like that," he said, watching as Pavel's hands rose into the proper position to block Jim's advances.

"Vell, vhy not?"

"Well, I'm not gonna just beat up some teenager. I'm not that mean." He threw some light punches, slow enough so Pavel could block them.

"Vhat?"

"Sulu was right, you're harmless. I'd kinda feel like I was, you know, kicking a puppy or something."

I grimaced, knowing what kind of response this would elicit. As expected, Pavel tried to throw himself at the captain.

"Watch it, kid!" he yelled, trying to block him best he could. I stood up, but Doctor McCoy patted my shoulder.

"They'll be fine."

I just shook my head.

"I am not kid!" he yelled, clinging onto him while he tried, unsuccessfully to get the kid off.

"Shit, Chekov!" the Captain yelled when Pavel got a soft spot, lashing out instinctively, effectively knocking the seventeen-year-old out cold.

I stood up, the doctor following suit this time. "What the fuck, Kirk?" I demanded and he shrugged.

"The kid went after me," he said, rubbing the spot on his chest that Pavel had punched.

"So you knocked him out?!" I demanded. I knew my anger wasn't being held in check, but I couldn't help myself, even if he was the Captain. Before I could step closer, Mr Spock stepped between us.

"I believe you have nothing more to argue about. There is nothing to be achieved."

I scowled, bending down beside my best friend next to the doctor. "How does he look, Doc?" I asked, concerned. I saw him visibly darken at my little nickname, but didn't object in words.

"Well, Jim knocked him out cold. He should be fine, though - nothing a good icepack on the head won't help him with," he said, taking out some painkillers and placing them in my hand. I raised an eyebrow. "You two are pretty close, aren't you? Make sure he takes two of these when he wakes up."

I raised my hands, not sure what he meant by that. "Wait, what?"

"Your quarters or his, Mister Sulu?" he asked me and I sighed, shaking my head.

"Mine," I said, remembering the mess the teenager often kept in his room. He just nodded, taking up one of Pavel's arms over his shoulder.

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Take the other arm," he told me gruffly and I nodded, obediently following his direction.

- - -

I didn't know it was possible for the galaxy to be spinning behind my eyelids.

I groaned, hesitant to move because of how much my head hurt. I could remember the events leading up to when I lost consciousness - how much I had wanted to prove my toughness in front of Hikaru and the others. It didn't work though. I was harmless, just like he said.

"Hey, you're awake," I heard a familiar voice say and tentatively opened an eye. My face split into a grin upon recognizing the face that stared down at me.

"Hikaru!" I exclaimed, sitting up so quickly that my head started spinning, causing me to falter. He grabbed my arm in support.

"Don't move too fast," he warned me, reaching over to the bedside table to retrieve a glass of water.

"Doctor McCoy wanted you to take these when you woke up," he said, handing me two small, white pills. I popped them in, determined to prove my toughness by at least swallowing my painkillers without complaint.

"Vhat happened?" I asked him, slowly getting up to press my back against the headboard. He adjusted his hold on the icepack that covered my forehead and I winced.

His face darkened considerably before he responded, "Kirk punched you out when you were sparring."

My face flushed red and I averted my eyes to the covers that certainly were not mine, a fact that caused me to blush more. "Does zat mean I am harmlezz?"

Sulu laughed, his eyes shining with mirth. I couldn't help but smile - I _loved_ his laugh. "Yeah, I guess so," he said with a grin.

I felt tears coming to my eyes, not understanding why he could be so happy with the realization. It was human nature to pick a mate by how effectively they would protect them, and it broke my heart to see my failure so easily dismissed. He froze, gauging my expression with worried eyes and I looked away.

"What's wrong?" he asked me and I sniffled, an action that caused my nose to hurt. I briefly wondered if Jim had hit my nose during our sparring session.

"Eef I am harmlezz, I am not tough. And eef I am not tough, I am not eempressive," I sighed, dropping my face into my hands in defeat, an action that made me swear under my breath from the jolt to my nose. "And eef I am not eempressive, y - people vill not vant me."

I felt the icepack become replaced with warm fingers that easily intertwined with my curls. I sniffled again.

"Well, I think you're really impressive, 'kay? If you weren't harmless, you wouldn't be the Chekov I know so well and l - "

He cut himself off and I looked up to him, waiting for him to finish his sentence. "Well, if you weren't the same harmless, innocent Chekov you wouldn't be my best friend," he finished and I smiled sheepishly, resting my pounding head against his shoulder.

"Zanks, Heekaru," I said softly, closing my eyes and paying close attention to how his fingers felt scraping across my scalp.

"No problemo, Pav. Any time."

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**Okay, not as fluffy as I was hoping, but it's my first one. Maybe I will write a sequel? :) With more flufftasticness?**


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